


The Case of the Idealistic Attorney

by tigerbright



Category: Erle Stanley Gardner - Perry Mason series
Genre: Gen, Male Character of Color, Police Procedural, Racism, Racist Language, White Privilege, Yuletide, challenge:Yuletide 2007
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-08
Updated: 2013-05-08
Packaged: 2017-12-10 18:32:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/788901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigerbright/pseuds/tigerbright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Many thanks to my roommate RubyNye, my mom, my friend Kyttn, and to Anitaray for beta-ing.  The hardest part of this story was conveying what happened outside of Perry and Paul's knowledge; the commentary helped enormously with that.</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Case of the Idealistic Attorney

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pearbean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearbean/gifts).



> Many thanks to my roommate RubyNye, my mom, my friend Kyttn, and to Anitaray for beta-ing. The hardest part of this story was conveying what happened outside of Perry and Paul's knowledge; the commentary helped enormously with that.

"No further questions, your Honor." Perry stepped back to the defense table. The witness, sobbing, was led away by a bailiff.

Hamilton Burger sighed. "Your Honor, in light of the evidence presented by Mr. Mason, the State wishes to drop all charges against the defendant."

Cheers erupted. Perry patted his client on the back and sent him off with his family, with Della Street looking bemusedly after them.

"Do you *always* do that, Perry?"

"Do what, Della?"

"I've been working with you for six months now, and every time you and Paul solve a case, you present your evidence on the witness stand."

"I do have an obligation to prove a reasonable doubt of my client's innocence," Perry said mildly.

"But why not bring this evidence to Mr. Burger and Lieutenant Grant?"

Paul Drake, coming around the table, rolled his eyes. "We used to do that. Remember, Perry?"

"Oh yes. Della, are you in the mood for a good meal and a long story?"

"I think I could handle that. Let me just pack up here so I can put the files away when we get back to the office."

Drinks ordered and food chosen, Della looked impatiently at the men. "All right, boys, you promised me a story."

"Well, Paul and I started working together about ten years ago. I was only a few years out of law school, and I'd had a fairly good apprenticeship with Charlie Bronkett, a cynical and somewhat infamous old criminal lawyer over in Burbank, but I had the capital to open my own office and thought I was ready."

"And I'd been working with the investigator that old goat had on retainer," Paul added.

Perry nodded. "Paul and I worked together well, and we were tired of working with jaded old men, as we thought of them, and so we set out to get our first case."

"And let me tell you, Della, finding a case before Perry'd made a name for himself was the hardest piece of legwork I'd ever done! No-one with any real money wanted an untried kid, however sharp. Neither of us had quite the, ah, gravitas we've accumulated since, either." Paul looked down at his paunch a bit ruefully.

"Uh huh," Della said with a twinkle. "So what did you end up with?"

"Well, Perry happened to take his shirts in for cleaning, and he was chatting with the owner of the place..."

\----

"Mr. Mason, please, you are lawyer, yes?"

"Yes, Mr. Chan, I'm a lawyer. Why, do you need one?"

"Is my son. He did not do it, I know this!"

Perry looked at the diminutive older man in surprise. He'd met the younger Chan on several occasions, and had never considered the young man in danger of becoming a criminal.

"Will you have time to come by my office and tell me about it? I know you're busy here..."

"My wife and daughter, they will take care. I go with you now." He called to the women working in the back, speaking rapid Chinese. They looked at Perry warily, but nodded. Chan turned back to Perry. "We go."

Back in the office, Perry listened to the story. It was a fairly typical story; the young man had gone into a jewelry store to buy a present for his fiancee, and ended up being accused of lifting a gold watch from the tray shown him.

"They find it on him, Mr. Mason, but I know he did not steal it!" Mr. Chan was near tears. "I told him, go to Chinese store, but his girl, she born American, she want American engagement ring, she send him to American store. She so American she make him go to English school. He speak perfectly well!"

"I'll make it all right," Perry promised. "What's your son's full name, and who was the arresting officer?"

"Chan Dong Han - you would say Dong Han Chan. Family name first, in Chinese. I not remember officer's name - big redfaced man."

"Well, down at the station they'll list him under his family name first anyway. And I have contacts." Perry reached for the phone. "Gertie, can you get me Lieutenant Grant... thanks, ring me back." He looked across the desk.

"Does your son have an American name as well?"

"He likes name John. He says, common like Dong, and Americans no laugh."

"I could see that being a problem," Perry said gravely. The phone rang. "Lieutenant Grant? Perry Mason here - I used to work with... oh, you remember me. Well, I've set up my own shop, and I'm looking into the arrest of a young man named Chan, given name Dong Han or John... yes, that's the one. His father's hired me to prove he didn't do it, and I'd like to come down to headquarters and talk to the young man directly... Of course he has the right to a lawyer, Grant, his family's lived in Los Angeles longer than I have... yes, I can be there in an hour. I'll see you then." He hung up, then dialed again. "Gertie? Would you ask Paul Drake to step up here, please? Many thanks."

Paul knocked and came in, and looked at Mr. Chan inquiringly. Perry waved him in. "Paul, this is Mr. Chan, he owns the cleaners down the street. His son's been arrested for stealing a watch, and I've agreed to take the case."

Paul's eyebrows rose, but he said only, "Sure. What do you need?"

"Mr. Chan will give you the name of the jeweler; see if you can go down there and chat with witnesses. I'm going over to Grant's office to let John Chan know his dad hired me and get his side of the story. After that I'll probably have more."

"Sure, Perry."

Chan took the pad Perry pushed toward him and wrote a name and address, tore off the sheet, and handed it to Paul. "I go back to store now, gentlemen. Thank you very, very much." Chan bowed his way out. Paul shut the door.

"You really sure about this, Perry?"

"Why not? Chan's a good man, and his son seems to be as well. And," Perry added dryly, "we don't exactly have clients knocking down the doors to get in."

"Oh, it's just... you know Chinamen."

"I know that this one always gets my shirts clean and never overcharges me. What else should I know?"

"Stop it, Perry, you know what I mean."

"I do. I'm waiting to see if you have the courage to come right out and say it."

Paul shuffled his feet and looked at his big hands twitching the creases at his knees. "Well, I don't know, I've never *personally*, I mean, they've never done a thing to *me*, but... darn it, Perry, a *Chinaman*?"

"I expect that young John Chan will be dealing with policemen with even worse prejudices than yours," Perry said grimly. "Let's hope we can prove his innocence and get the case dismissed before it goes to trial."

"If he *is* innocent," Paul muttered. At Perry's raised eyebrow, he looked abashed, but held firm. "You know as well as I do, Perry, not every client is actually going to be innocent."

"No. But we have to start out thinking of them that way, regardless of race or creed."

\----

"Your client's in there, Mason."

Perry inclined his head. "Thank you, Sergeant. Always a pleasure." Holcomb sneered and slammed the door.

The young man at the table looked up. He was significantly taller and broader in the shoulder than his father, though not as tall as Perry himself. He looked surprised.

"Mr. Mason? Why are you here?" His voice had hardly a trace of an accent.

"Your father hired me to represent you, John. He believes you to be innocent."

"And I am!"

"All the more reason to have a good lawyer. Care to tell me about it?"

"I am going to be married, Mr. Mason. In just a few months. Janet was born here, in Los Angeles, and she wanted a ring, like the American girls at her office. I have some money saved up, so I went to get her an American ring, with a diamond. But," he added ruefully, "they are very expensive. So I looked at other things... bracelets, watches. The salesman goes away while I look, and then comes back. And suddenly the salesman starts yelling at me, and calls the police... and they find a watch in my pocket. But I did not put it there!"

Perry took notes. "The salesman went *away* while you were looking at a tray on the counter?"

"Yes, he did. I thought it strange, but it was nice to be trusted. Or so I believed," he added bitterly.

"It does rather smell like a setup," Perry agreed. "Was there anyone near you at the time?"

"Another salesman was walking around the store with an older woman. There were some other people here and there, but she reminded me of my grandmother - she kept peering at people's faces, she kept asking questions in a loud voice, she was not afraid to walk up to people and let them know her opinion. And he was not showing her proper respect, either... I'm sure my parents would have had things to say about how Americans treat their elders."

Perry made notes, and nodded. "Some folks... well. What were you wearing at the time?"

"A suit and tie. I knew I couldn't expect to be taken seriously, otherwise."

"Jacket open or closed?"

"Closed. I prefer to be as formal as possible."

"And which pocket was the watch found in?"

"Right jacket pocket."

"And you're right-handed?"

"Left, actually."

Perry grinned. "That's the best news I've had all day. All right; initial these notes here and I'll check in with my detective, and I'll keep you posted. Hopefully we can get this all dismissed before it even comes to court."

"Thank you, Mr. Mason. I look forward to hearing from you." John Chan bowed as they stood, and Perry shook his hand.

\----------

"So, Paul, what happened at the jeweler's?"

"Well, as you might expect, they weren't too happy with the idea that a Chink might be innocent, or that one of their more affluent customers might get fingered. Can't blame them, it's a business thing, but it didn't make them cooperative."

"Anything about the people in the shop that day?"

"Three salesmen and five customers were in the store at the time; they're even listed on the police report that Grant oh-so-helpfully gave you."

"So they are." Perry flipped it open. "John Chan mentioned a nosy old lady; I expect that's Ginny Mapleton, aged 62. Sometimes those types are sharp; might be worth having a chat with her. I can do that; I want you to look up John's fiancee, Janet Yong. Mr. Chan gave me the info on her when I stopped by on my way back from seeing John; she was born in Los Angeles, moved out of her parents' place about six months ago and into one of those nice boardinghouses for professional girls; you know, the type where the kids are chaperoned within an inch of their lives. He didn't know the address, but he was able to find it in John's papers. Here you go."

"Those places also keep records of everyone who sees the girls, too. I think I can do something with this." Paul folded the paper and stuck it in his shirt pocket.

A few hours later, they were back in the office. Perry rubbed his hands in glee. "Paul, I think we're ready to go ask the DA to dismiss the case." He picked up the phone. "Gertie, would you get me Mr. Hamilton Burger at the District Attorney's office? Thank you." A few moments later, he was chatting animatedly. "Hamilton, you have a young man in custody named John Chan, or Chan Han Dong \- yes, the man accused of stealing a watch. Now, his father has retained me to represent him, and my detective, Paul Drake, and I have gathered evidence that would seem to make it highly unlikely... yes, I know the watch was found on him; I also have an eyewitness who says that one of the salesmen brushed up against his right pocket. Yes, she's willing to testify in court. Why yes, it was Mrs. Mapleton... no, actually, I consider her to be highly reliable... oh, you did, did you. Did you also know that John Chan is left-handed... I see. Well, I suppose we'll see you at the grand jury hearing. Right." He hung up and put his head in his hands.

"Perry?" Paul inquired with concern.

"Apparently Burger has an expert witness prepared to testify that Mrs. Mapleton is given to delusions and has dementia. This was suggested, I might add, by the owner of the store, who apparently bears a grudge against her for chasing away customers."

"Oh."

"Also, John Chan has been seen using both hands interchangeably, according to his fiancee, whom Grant interviewed just a few days ago."

"He was on the list of people in to see Janet Yong, certainly. Also one of the salesmen from the store."

"I'd forgotten that from your notes. Which salesman?"

"Howard Anderson... same fellow who spotted the watch missing and sounded the alarm."

"Oh, no. Before or after the robbery?"

"Er... both."

Perry sighed. "I'd better go back and talk to John."

\-----------

John Chan looked at Perry Mason in disbelief. "You think that Janet and this Anderson guy set me up, as they say in the movies?"

"I'm saying it's the only reasonable theory, for now."

"It's ridiculous."

"How did you find the jeweler?"

"Janet suggested it; she said a friend of hers knew one of the salesmen... Oh, don't look at me like that, Mr. Mason, with your filthy American mind!"

Perry ignored the mixed antecedent and said gently, "Don't you think it's worth looking into, for the sake of clearing your name?"

"No, Mr. Mason. Come back when you have a different theory. One that a more *experienced* lawyer might come up with."

Perry sighed, tipped his hat to John, and left. Heading toward the trolley, he suddenly reversed his steps and walked the few blocks to the District Attorney's office.

"Mr. Mason, what a pleasure." Hamilton Burger's voice was unctuous. "How can I help you today?"

"I'm having some problems with John Chan's case, and I was hoping you could help me see through the fog."

"I see no fog, Mr. Mason; all the evidence points to him, and we have no reason to doubt it."

"Did you know that one of the salesmen, Anderson, had gone to visit Janet Yong before and after the robbery?"

"I didn't." To Mason's ear, Burger was actually surprised. "I'll look into it and let you know what I find."

"I appreciate that. Have a good day, Mr. Burger."

"And you, Mr. Mason."

\------------

Paul walked into Perry's office and slumped gloomily into a chair.

"Hard day?"

"Perry, that Anderson guy has completely disappeared. Last his neighbors saw of him, he was running down the street while the flatfeet were knocking at his door. My guess is that he got the wind up and ran off."

"WHAT?!"

"Just what I said."

"Paul, what reason do the police have for pinning this robbery on John Chan? That watch wasn't even worth a hundred!"

Paul shrugged. "My guess is, they weren't, but he has a guilty conscience due to an affair with Janet. Nothing we can do about it now."

"We're going to have to go to court and pursue this, Paul. I have to plant that reasonable doubt in the jury!"

"You can try, Perry. But I think I'd better try and turn something up that Burger doesn't know about."

"Whatever happened to trust in the law?" Perry muttered.

Paul shrugged. "The law's interpreted and enforced by people, Perry. People have prejudices. And -- not all of them have partners like you to talk sense into them."

Perry managed a wan grin. "Let's get John out of jail."

\-----------

"So did you?" Della asked.

"Did we what?"

"Keep John Chan from being convicted."

"He was in Lancaster on a five-year sentence... and never made it out. No-one was ever accused of his murder; as far as anyone could tell, it was just one of those times when the big guy was roughing up the little guy a little too often and a little too hard. His father died soon after. His fiancee," Perry added bitterly, "married her big-shot boss six months after John was convicted. I saw them at some big social event recently; that amount of make-up and pretty Chinese silk made it even clearer that he sees her as a toy, not a spouse."

"Did you ever find out why he was framed?"

Paul lifted his shoulders and let them fall. "We couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone after Anderson disappeared. His father wanted to believe that Janet's family was part of the Tong, the Chinese version of the Mafia, and was laundering money through the jeweler... but with our resources, there was no way we could even come close to backing that up... and it was grasping at straws considering that the owner was one of the biggest racists I've ever met. And like the Mafia, the Tong gets blamed for anything people don't understand anyway. I still have no idea why Janet or Anderson set John up; I was hoping to get that on the stand, but with him disappearing and her being able to convince the jury that she had nothing to do with it, it was a no go."

"So now your rule is, 'Trust nobody.'"

"And I hate it." Perry drained his drink. "Where's our dinner?"

Paul patted Perry on the shoulder. Della's eyes blurred, and she got up hastily, saying, "I'll find our waiter, shall I?"


End file.
